


The Scolding of an Avatar

by AtarahDerekh



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, Smoke and Shadow, The Promise, The Search, spoilers for those who haven't read the comics, the rift - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:49:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24975625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtarahDerekh/pseuds/AtarahDerekh
Summary: When Aang meets up with Zuko again after the events of “the Rift” and “Smoke and Shadow,” he has an assignment for Roku. It's humiliating enough that a barely-14-year-old boy is making Roku confess his sins to his great-grandson, but did Ursa and Iroh have to be present too?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 121





	The Scolding of an Avatar

**Author's Note:**

> The following is just my thoughts on Roku's attitude and behavior in "the Promise," expressed as a story. Aang was justified in pushing Roku away for a time, and it always bugged me that Roku was never adequately called out for his attitude toward his great-grandson. So here, Aang does it, and lets Roku's own family roast him.

Another day, another adventure. It was normal for them now, and Aang was sure that if they went more than a month without having to resolve some kind of crisis, they'd go stir crazy and make up a crisis of their own. He kind of understood Mai's definition of boredom a little better now. Respected her more, too. And, he had to admit, after hearing the entire story of Ukano's involvement in the Kemurikage incident, he had to respect the ex-governor as well. Aang was hopeful for Mai's family. All of them were open to healing and reconciliation, and Zuko had granted Ukano leniency, giving him the opportunity for parole based on his behavior. It would still be a while before Ukano would be able to walk free, however. Nonetheless, Aang couldn't be more grateful to see a family that could've been irreparably broken apart begin to come together despite all that had happened.

Speaking of reconciliation and families coming back together, Aang had a chore for a certain member of Zuko's family. He planned to spend one more night in the Fire Nation capital before heading to the Southern Water Tribe to meet up with Sokka and Katara and see how the reconstruction was going. And there was someone who needed to talk to Zuko. Someone who owed Zuko an apology.

So after Zuko finished his speech to the crowd, promising them he would learn from the recent crisis and devise a better response to such attacks in the future, Aang retreated to a private place to meditate. Fingering his beads, he came to the stone that he'd carved to represent fire. He still hadn't replaced it with a more suitable wooden one. Pausing on the shale pendant, Aang called forward his immediate predecessor.

“Something is troubling you, Aang,” Roku said immediately. “And I can't sense what it might be. The unresolved situation with Azula, perhaps?”

Aang nibbled at his lip. He'd often wondered how many of his thoughts and feelings his past lives could share. Obviously it was possible to keep some things at least partially hidden from them. “No, I know we're all in for the long haul with Azula,” he said. “I think...that's something Zuko and his mom are going to have to do most of the work on. I'll only get involved if Azula starts actually threatening peace, balance or my friends' lives.”

Roku nodded. “Then what's troubling you?”

“Well...” Aang began, rubbing the back of his neck. “You remember our...disagreement? The one that Avatar Yangchen had to mediate? Has that ever happened before? Where two avatars disagreed and another had to step in to get them to stop fighting or start speaking to each other again?”  
Roku chuckled. “Believe it or not, it happened between myself and Avatar Kyoshi at least twice. And between her and Avatar Kuruk on more than one occasion as well.” He muttered under his breath, “Actually, they still don't get along.”

“Seriously?” Aang said, gaping. “Wait, how does the whole afterlife thing work for you guys, anyway? Do you just...”

Roku held up a hand. “I'm afraid there are some secrets I can't divulge. You'll find out someday. Just...don't be in a hurry to get there. But as for our disagreement, I am glad Yangchen was able to help us reconnect.”

“Well, we're not the only two who need to reconnect,” Aang stated.

Roku gave him a puzzled look.

Aang exhaled, straightened and looked his predecessor in the eye. “Roku, you owe Zuko an apology. And tonight, you're going to give it to him.”

…................................................................  
Dinner was an exciting affair. Kiyi was regaling her audience yet again with a still-more embellished account of how she had (allegedly) singlehandedly saved the other children from the masked smoke ladies, acting out the events with great dramatic flare and not a few pyrotechnics for effect. While she seemed to have unusually fine control over her flames for a four-year-old, there were several points at which Zuko, Aang or Iroh had to snuff out an item that Kiyi inadvertently set ablaze.

“My, you can certainly tell she's the daughter of thespians,” Iroh said with a laugh.

“Zuko, I blame you,” Ursa told her son teasingly.

“Why me?” Zuko replied with mock indignation.

“She decided to try all this after watching you firebending. Now we'll have to fireproof everything in the house.”

Ikem laughed. “Oh, the joys of being two non-benders raising a firebender. We'll figure it out, dear,” he promised.

Aang propped his chin on his hand and fixed Kiyi with a look. “So you saved all the kids without any help, Kiyi?”

“All by myself!” Kiyi boasted, jabbing a thumb to her puffed out chest.

“But I was there too, you know. I thought I helped. And your big brother Zuko. And Tom-Tom's sister Mai. And...”

“Okay, okay, I get it!” Kiyi said with a huff. “You guys helped too. And Tom-Tom's daddy got a bucket of water, 'cause I can't make hot metal not hot anymore. I'm not the avatar, you know!”

Aang laughed. “That's probably good, because then I'd be super confused about who I was.”

“But you and I are related to the avatar,” Zuko told Kiyi. “I bet that's why you're such a good firebender.”

Kiyi looked at her brother in confusion. “We're related to Aangy?”

Aang blushed a bit at the nickname that every small child he met seemed to give him. “In a way,” he said. “See, the avatar before me, Avatar Roku, is your great-grandfather.”

Ursa smiled from behind her cup of tea. “We never used to talk about it in our family,” she said. “My mother told me it was best not to draw attention to ourselves in the political climate of the time. But it was a point of pride for us.”

“Wow!” Kiyi said, sinking down on her pillow. “I wish I coulda met him! I bet he was awesome! Did you meet him, Aangy?”

“Yes, but not while he was alive,” Aang said. “When the old avatar dies, the new one is born.”

“But if he's dead, how can you talk to him?” the little girl asked, thoroughly confused.

“Special avatar powers,” Aang said, wriggling his fingers.

“Sometimes past avatars can even speak through the current avatar,” Iroh said, causing Aang to look at him in surprise. “Oh, it's not forbidden knowledge,” Iroh clarified. “Besides, Jeong Jeong told me about the day he met you.”

Aang relaxed a bit. So Iroh wasn't on to his plan after all. “Oh! Yeah, I'm still kinda embarrassed about all that. I don't think I'll ever stop feeling bad about burning Katara. But yeah, Roku, I guess, stepped in to convince Jeong Jeong to give me some basic lessons. The first time I ever spoke with him—Roku, I mean—he helped me escape from his temple.”

“He set me free that day,” Zuko said. “Did he...did he already know who I was?”

“I think so,” Aang said. “He's the one who told me you were related, remember?”

Zuko nodded. “I guess shared dreams are avatar stuff too.”

“I think us being sort-of-kind-of family helps with that.”

“Shared dreams?” Ikem asked.

“Several months ago, there was this...issue with Yu Dao, our oldest colony,” Zuko explained. “I didn't know the right way to deal with it, and wasn't sleeping well because of it. And...one night I had this dream. Aang was part of it, and I found out later that he'd had the exact same dream.”

“Roku was in it too,” Aang said. “And I think...I'm not sure because it wasn't my part of the dream, but I could've sworn I saw...”

“Ozai,” Zuko confirmed with a nod. “He'd managed to get into my head. He was...partly right...that I shouldn't try to pull our citizens out of Yu Dao. But he was wrong about keeping the colonies the way they were.”

“And Roku wasn't too happy with what it looked to us like you were doing,” Aang said. “I mean, I wasn't either, because, well...you weren't exactly communicating very well.”

Zuko gave him a wry grin. “Yeah, that's on me.”

“We've got a saying in the theatre industry,” Ikem said. “'Poor communication kills.' I'm sure it's probably said in the military too, but...”

“Said, but rarely heeded,” Iroh said with a nod.

“Well, I almost experienced the literal truth of that,” Zuko said.

“And honestly, there's really no excuse for it,” Aang said. “What Roku did, I mean.”

Zuko raised his good eyebrow at his friend. “What exactly do you mean?”

Aang inhaled and exhaled. “First of all, I know you shouldn't have asked me to make that promise, and I know I shouldn't have made it.”

“Yeah, we've been over this, Aang,” Zuko said. “I'd like to move on.”

“Well, Roku and I kind of stopped speaking to each other over it. For a while. It took General Old Iron attacking Cranefish Town and Avatar Yangchen trying to get through to me to get us speaking to each other again.”

Now Zuko was really confused, as were the others at the table. “Care to elaborate on that?” Zuko said cautiously.

Aang turned to Kiyi. “So, Kiyi, you said you wish you could meet your great-grandfather?”

Kiyi nodded eagerly, her mouth full of food.

Aang took his beads off and ran his hands along them, stopping at the fire pendant. “Well, I know how you can.”

Zuko, seated next to Aang, hastily retreated to the opposite side of the table, placing himself partially behind his uncle. Ikem, seated on Aang's other side, glanced back and forth between the avatar and the Fire Lord nervously.

“Uh...should I move?”

“Probably best, dear,” Ursa encouraged.

Ikem shuffled over to his wife's other side, dragging Kiyi along, who protested through the sushi still stuffed in her mouth.

Aang smiled, swallowing a laugh, and entered the avatar state briefly. The candles flared, then dimmed. Suddenly, Aang wasn't there anymore. Sitting in his place was Avatar Roku.

Kiyi's eyes went wide. “Whoa,” she whispered reverently, her bite of salmon-crab roll tumbling out of her mouth onto her lap.

Roku looked up at the family. None of them knew how it was possible for the late avatar to look so sheepish, but here he was.

“Avatar Aang requested that I address the Fire Lord this evening,” Roku began. “He...did not inform me that there would be others at this meeting. I was under the impression that he'd planned to wait until he could seek a private audience.”

Zuko stood and swallowed nervously, saluting the former avatar and bowing deeply. “I can't say I was expecting this at all,” he said. “But...it's an honor, Avatar Roku.”

The others at the table bowed as well, Kiyi looking around in confusion for a moment before dipping her head.

Roku smiled at his youngest great-grandchild. “On the other hand, it is wonderful to formally meet my descendants.” He looked at Zuko. “Actually, Aang called me here tonight because he wanted me to apologize to you, my great-grandson.”

“Apologize?” Zuko repeated, confused.

“We met in your shared dream with Aang, if you'll recall.”

“Well, I could only just barely see you. I couldn't actually hear what you were saying to Aang. I had a much clearer view of you when you spared me during the destruction of your temple, while you were driving Zhao and the corrupt sages out.”

Roku nodded. “I could sense who you were then,” he said. “But then, in our meeting in the dreamscape, I encouraged Aang to fulfill his promise to you. Afterward, I told him how we are related. I told him it pained me to hold him to that promise.” 

Roku visibly flinched then, in a manner very reminiscent of someone jabbing him in the ribs. Zuko imagined it was Aang, prompting Roku to be more clear.

“What promise?” Ursa prodded. 

Apparently she and Aang were of one mind just then. Zuko saw his mother's brow furrow as she glanced dangerously at her grandfather. He recalled the lesson she and the turtle-duck hen had given him at the pond some seven years before. He decided to spare his ancestor a mother's wrath. Or at least try to mitigate it.

“I made Aang make me a promise that he would be my safety net,” Zuko explained. “That if...if I should ever start to turn into my father...Aang was to put an end to me. I never should've made him promise me that.”

“Okay, that makes a lot more sense,” Ikem said. “Aang thought he was gonna have to fulfill his promise because you weren't communicating your intent. You appeared aggressive when you weren't meaning to be. So Avatar Roku was holding Aang to—Ursa, honey, what are you doing?”

Ursa had risen to her feet and was glowering at Roku now. Zuko was sure that if she were a firebender, she'd be breathing smoke. He wasn't entirely unconvinced she would suddenly start now.

“Am I to understand,” Ursa said, “that you knew all along Zuko was your descendant, and you _still_ told his friend, a _child,_ no less, to _kill_ him? _My son?!_ ”

The dead man present stared at his granddaughter with a dread that, from an outsider's perspective, might be comical, but Zuko knew it was anything but as far as Roku and Ursa were concerned. The ambient temperature of the room dropped to an uncomfortable chill, and Zuko had to check and see if the candles were still lit. They flickered, but very dimly. The shadows they cast made his mother's face look more terrifying than he ever would've thought possible.

He tried to come to Roku's defense. “Mom, it's okay! Aang didn't go through with it! He...”

“Hush, son, your mother's talking!” Ursa said sternly, holding a finger up at Zuko, who was taken aback. His mother very rarely had to silence him so sharply when he was a child, and he certainly wasn't expecting it now.

“Uncle,” Zuko said, turning to Iroh for support. But the elderly teamaker just stared without expression in Roku's direction.

“Let her say her piece, nephew,” Iroh said. “I would like to hear this too.”

Roku held up his hands to try to calm his granddaughter. “Ursa, if you please...”

“No!” Ursa shouted. “Now, you listen to me! I am _sick and tired_ of everyone threatening my children! For eleven years, their slime ball father emotionally and mentally abused them! He used their abuse to blackmail me! He _physically_ abused them the moment my back was turned and I was helpless to stop him! My son is _missing half his face_ because of that man! My daughter is broken because of him, and I have no idea how to help her! I return after six years of forced absence from my children's lives to discover just how much they've suffered, and then I have to witness my youngest baby kidnapped and held hostage, not knowing what might have happened to her or if I'd ever see her again! And just when I thought that our family could finally start healing...finally start finding a way to be whole again...I find out that no one, not even my own ancestor, supports our efforts! I find out that there are threats from everywhere, even the dead! You, the avatar, would order the death of your own great-grandson! You are _no_ better than Azulon! No better than Ozai! So you can take your self-righteous avatar ideals and shove 'em where Agni never shines! And if I ever catch you poisoning my son's friend's mind against him...so help me, I don't know how, but I will find a way to deal with you myself! No one threatens my children! Do you hear me? _No. One!_ ”

Ursa's tirade finally ended, she stood before Roku, panting, daring him to say one thing against her. Roku, for his part, stared at her with a mixture of shock and fear on his face. Somewhere beneath his facade, Aang shuddered. Ursa's comparison of Roku to Azulon and Ozai was a low blow in his opinion, but her raw, honest emotion was needed here. From her perspective, anyone who would advocate or perpetuate harm against their own descendants was equally evil and vile, whether they be royalty or the avatar. Aang couldn't blame her. Actually, he was pretty sure Katara held the same viewpoint. He'd have to ask her about it later.

Zuko gaped at his mother for several seconds more while she and Roku continued to stare one another down. He had no idea what would happen next, but he hoped Aang still had everything under control.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Roku dipped his head toward Ursa. “You...are right, Ursa. Aang called me here tonight to apologize to Zuko. But I see now that he wished for me to apologize to you as well. I am...deeply...sorry. I misjudged Zuko horribly. I gave Aang the wrong advice, and he was right to ignore it; right to push me back for a time so he could find his own way. I failed numerous times in my life because of my own indecisiveness. Aang, while he has a tendency to be indecisive, still knows how to temper his more difficult decisions with mercy. He did it for Ozai. And it was wrong of me not to expect him to do the same for Zuko. It was wrong of me not to trust him. He's a better avatar than I was. Cleverer, more resolute. My great-grandson is most fortunate to have such a friend. A friend who won't let who he was in one lifetime dictate how he treats his friends in this lifetime. And for my part, I will never doubt Aang again, or the friendship he has with Zuko. And I will never doubt Zuko again.”

Roku turned and nodded toward Iroh, who regarded the late avatar with a look of silent judgment, as if testing the sincerity of Roku's apology. The Dragon of the West's nostrils flared slightly, just enough that one could only really notice if one was sitting right next to him. The nearest candle flickered in time to Iroh's slightly agitated breathing.

“I should apologize to you as well,” Roku told him. “You were the guiding light my great-grandson needed to befriend Aang and help him put an end to this war that my indecision helped cause. To doubt Zuko was to doubt you. To advocate for his end was to dismiss your own work; your own struggles to throw off Sozin's legacy of destruction. In a way, I held the sins of my former best friend against his descendants. I did Zuko a dishonor by my wrong advice and attitude, but I did the same to you. And I am truly sorry.

“And to you, my great-grandson,” Roku continued, turning to Zuko, “I am also so very sorry. I gave up on you. I told Aang to do the same. I was wrong. Too many people in your life threatened to give up on you for reasons that were never your fault. I am ashamed to have been one of them. Please...accept my apology. I make it on my own behalf. Let none of this reflect on Aang. We carried the same spirit in life, but clearly, we are two very different people. In the best possible way.”

Roku bowed deeply to the three recipients of his apology. Zuko was the first to return the bow. Iroh gave a slight smile, stood, and returned the bow as well.

Ursa glared a moment longer, tears welling in her eyes, before she too bowed.

“We accept your apology,” Zuko said, glancing at his mother and uncle for confirmation. Their gentle smiles gave him his answer. Zuko straightened. “Thank you, Avatar Roku, for your honesty and humility. Those are important traits for a leader to have. I know you have a lot of regrets, but...for what it's worth, I don't think you were a bad avatar.”

Roku smiled. “Thank you,” he said. “And now, I will leave you to your repast.”

With a whirl of smoke and light, Roku was gone. Sitting in his place was a slightly dazed Aang. The light and temperature of the room returned to normal, and Zuko, Iroh and Ursa returned to their seats.

Zuko shoved Aang playfully. “What kind of stunt was that?” he demanded.

Aang chuckled. “It needed to be done,” he said. “I couldn't just forget about it.”

“You don't have to feel guilty for what he did.”

“I know, but guilt doesn't seem to care whether it's needed or not. It still hangs on.”

“I have to admit,” Ikem chimed in, “there was something oddly satisfying about watching the avatar get his butt verbally handed to him by my lovely wife. It's kind of a turn on, actually.” He winked at Ursa, who playfully slapped his shoulder.

“So...” Kiyi began, “is Grandpa Roku gonna go sit in the corner?”

The others laughed.

“He already did,” Aang assured her. “That's why he apologized. So it's all good now.”

Everyone returned to the meal, sharing lively conversation. Only Ursa seemed quiet and distant.

…......................................  
After dinner, Zuko tried to approach his mother, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see his uncle.

“I've been meaning to speak to her about a conversation we had a few days ago, nephew,” Iroh explained. “If you'll excuse us...”

“Yeah, sure, no problem,” Zuko said. “I just...wanted to make sure that Aang didn't upset her too much by bringing Roku in so unexpectedly. I was gonna talk to him privately about that later.”

“I don't think Aang has anything to worry about from your mother,” Iroh assured him. “She holds nothing against him.”

Zuko nodded and let Iroh catch up to Ursa as she made her way out of the dining hall. Meanwhile, Zuko had another avatar who needed a scolding for the stunt he pulled. He turned to go find Aang.

........................................  
It would be awhile before he could, however. Aang sat on the roof of the palace, staring up at the twinkling stars, fingering the fire pendant on his beads. Roku's shade manifested beside him. Aang turned and smiled at his predecessor, who smiled back.

“However the whole see-through-the-living-avatar's-eyes thing works, I think it should be good for some stargazing, right?” Aang asked.

“Always,” Roku said with a nod. “And if you listen, you can hear avatars of long, long ago commenting on how the stars have changed since their day.”

Aang leaned back on the roof, letting Roku's form dissipate. As he stared at the stars, he carefully listened to each avatar in succession making their comments about the brilliant night sky. He was so glad he'd reconnected with them, and just as glad he could help them reconnect with family. Stars may change, but Aang was certain the importance of family would not.


End file.
